


Conference on Solace and Brevity

by onemechanicalalligator



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ficlet, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24952867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemechanicalalligator/pseuds/onemechanicalalligator
Summary: A long time passes, and Abed starts to wonder if he should say something, because he needs to edit their movie.But he doesn’t actually care about the movie, and he does care about Jeff, so he just waits.What if Jeff and Abed's hug in "Intro to Recycled Cinema" lasted a little longer?
Relationships: Abed Nadir & Jeff Winger
Comments: 15
Kudos: 102





	Conference on Solace and Brevity

“Are you okay?” Abed asks, wide-eyed and clinging to Jeff like his life depends upon it, which, considering what just happened, maybe it does.

They’re standing in a sea of Frisbees.

Abed can still feel the places where Jeff’s fingers were wrapped around his neck, and he wonders if there will be bruises. 

Jeff is silent, and Abed thinks he’s shaking a little bit, and he begins to rub circles on Jeff’s back. 

Abed likes a lot of pressure if people are going to touch him, but he doesn’t know about Jeff, so he experiments, pressing lightly, then a little harder.

A long time passes, and Abed starts to wonder if he should say something, because he needs to edit their movie. 

But he doesn’t actually care about the movie, and he does care about Jeff, so he just waits.

“No.”

It’s quiet and muffled, a single syllable muttered against Abed’s shoulder, a warm puff of air that makes Abed squeeze Jeff that much harder.

Abed chooses his words carefully, because this is Jeff, his close friend, his first friend. 

“Will you let me help you?” he asks, and then he waits, and he wonders if Jeff will answer at all. 

Jeff’s arms around him shift, and it takes Abed a second to realize he’s shrugging. 

It can't just be that he's feeling left behind, or jealous of Chris Pratt, or obsessed with the movie. 

Whatever is going on with Jeff has been going on for a long time, and Abed knows that, and the rest of the group knows it, too. 

Abed doesn't want to pry, but he also doesn't want to miss a chance to finally be here for Jeff, who is always so stubborn, so closed-off.

“There’s more to it than what you just told me, isn’t there?” Abed says softly.

Jeff is quiet, and Abed thinks he is definitely shaking.

The silence continues, and he realizes that his shoulder is damp, that Jeff is crying, and that’s what the shaking is from.

Abed continues to rub Jeff’s back and begins to rock him back and forth a little bit.

He’s instinctively doing the things that he finds soothing, and he’s aware that they might not be soothing for Jeff, maybe not for anyone else on the planet, but it’s kind of all he has to offer.

This would be a good moment for some background music, or a voiceover, but Abed knows this isn't a movie.

“I wouldn’t know where to start,” Jeff finally says, and takes a shuddering breath, but he doesn’t move his head from Abed’s shoulder.

The room smells like concrete and old plastic, and it's stuffy and airy at the same time, and Abed thinks it's a weird place to be having this conversation. 

“You don’t even have to start now,” he says, “but will you let me help you?”

He hopes the repetition doesn’t undercut the sentiment, because this feels like a delicate moment, a turning point, maybe, and it’s a lot of pressure.

“Okay,” Jeff whispers, and that’s enough.

Abed hugs him as hard as he can, until it feels like his arms will break from the force, until he feels like he can safely let go of Jeff without fear of losing him.

“Will you do me a favor?” Jeff says.

“I never tell anybody about our private conversations,” Abed replies. “I wouldn’t really know how.”


End file.
